How Starbucks Blends Big Game Hype With Olympic Spirit

Starbucks is continuing its "Back to Starbucks" turnaround strategy by bypassing an in-game Super Bowl slot in favor of a cinematic presence surrounding the game and the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games. The "Coffee Run" campaign, developed by Anomaly LA, features a delivery driver traversing Austrian ski slopes to provide hot beverages to Team U.S.A. athletes, including stars like Amber Glenn and Oksana Masters. This strategy aims to reinforce the brand as a "third space" for connection while leveraging the high-engagement environments of two global sporting events.

Early iSpot Creative Assessment data reveals that while the campaign serves as a beautiful "love letter" to the brand's roots, the different cut-downs are driving distinct behavioral outcomes. While the longer-form film excels at top-funnel brand sentiment, it is the shorter, offer-driven creative that is currently moving the needle on consumer action.

Key Takeaways from the "Coffee Run" Campaign

• Offer-Driven Persuasion: The :30 "Free Tall Coffee" spot emerged as the strongest driver of bottom-funnel action, delivering a 57% Top Purchase Intent. This outperformed the more cinematic :60 version (49%) and the :15 cut (43%), proving that a clear value proposition is vital for converting viewers during high-stakes programming.
• Strong Brand Cementing: The campaign is a highly effective brand reminder, with the :30 spot achieving 86% unaided recall. Despite some initial narrative confusion, the vast majority of gen pop viewers successfully linked the creative to the Starbucks brand.
• Visual Storytelling over Emotional Depth: While the winter mountain backdrop and Burt Bacharach soundtrack were rated as visually appealing and "seasonally appropriate," the ads struggled to spark deep emotional connections, with "Thirsty" and "Convenience" signals registering at lower-than-average levels.
• Target Audience Resonance: The campaign found its "sweet spot" with females 21+ and younger viewers (21-35), who responded most positively to the Italian cinema aesthetic and the community-focused narrative.
• Olympic Partnership Synergy: Viewer sentiment confirms that the Olympics tie-in felt natural and timely. By positioning the brand as a facilitator of the athlete experience, Starbucks successfully created positive brand associations that felt integral to the game-day ritual.

Starbucks has successfully leveraged the scale of the Super Bowl and the Olympics to remind consumers of its "third space" identity and premium craft. While the cinematic :60 is a masterclass in top-funnel brand building, the high purchase intent of the :30 spot underscores the importance of balancing aesthetic storytelling with direct consumer incentives.